Thank you to Netgalley and Merriam Sarcia Saunders for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have a sister that owns her own speech language pathology clinic, and WOW, this book just makes me want to cry. Inclusiveness in language is so important! I loved the highlighting of language can be interpreted through so many different mannerisms. The illustrations showed this through a multitude of genders, races, and abilities. Teaching our kids to have this attitude when greeting anyone is so important, and I can think of some adults that could benefit from this one too!

This book is written in such a cute way that teaches children many differe t ways to great others. The illustrations are also very nice.

My daughter (5) really enjoyed discussing the different ways that people can say hello. She hasn't had a lot of experience with people who use different methods or technologies to communicate, so this book did a great job of giving different examples. We discussed sign language and assistive devices and the reasons that they might be needed. We also discussed how some people are ok with touching and hugs, and others aren't. This book discusses all of these in a way that is normal and accepted without any othering which I thought was fantastic. The illustrations were very cute and clearly showed the different ways the kids were saying hello. My daughter even asked me to look up how to say "Hello nice to meet you" in ASL (which I luckily already knew how to sign correctly). Definitely a book we will be adding to our library in hard copy. We read this e-book through NetGalley.

Lovely book with gorgeous illustrations introducing children to the many friendly and acceptable ways to say hello. Love the nonverbal and verbal communication methods and focus on the main character’s (and others) comfort and choice as she greets others.

As an SLP in an elementary school, this is an amazing story! I love the device representation and all forms of multimodal communication in there. I will be getting this for my classroom as soon as it is published!

A lovely and enjoyable book about the many ways people communicate. Some are loud, some use gestures, and some are physically unable to speak—but thankfully, technology now helps many express their thoughts. I appreciate the message of inclusivity and understanding.
However, I felt it lacked a bit of depth or a clear narrative. A few situational examples would have been great, allowing young readers to engage in role-playing and better grasp the different forms of communication.
Still, a meaningful book that encourages empathy and awareness!

I can’t wait for You Can Say Hi with Only a Smile by Merriam Sarcia Saunders to become available for purchase so that I can add it to my classroom library. This is such a beautiful acknowledgment that not all children -or adults!- are the same, and however we choose to greet people is absolutely fine.

I teach students of all abilities. Some are non-verbal and some communicate with their devices. Some love to hug and some prefer a quiet hello. All of these are validated in this lovely book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read You Can Say Hi with Only a Smile, which is a wonderful addition to any classroom that celebrates diversity and student choice.

AWWWW I LOVE THIS! This is the kids book version of the millennial tumblr posts along the lines of
"They don't say I love you, they say...
...get home safe.
...good luck on your test.
...this made me think of you.
...text me when you get home."
Plz, someone, understand this reference^

This really is precious though and I will certainly be picking up a copy for my son's little library!

Thank you bunches to Merriam Sarcia Saunders, APA, NetGalley and Magination for the eARC which I have voluntarily reviewed.